Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a leg handle used when lifting a person who is jumping or being lifted, for example a jumper in a Rugby lineout. In particular, a leg handle comprising a cylindrical section.
Description of Prior Art
There is a need to jump high in order to intercept a ball in many sports, such as Rugby, volleyball, or baseball.
For example, in Rugby Union, when a ball goes out of bounds it is returned to play using a set formation known as a lineout. In a lineout, players from both teams line up near where the ball went out of bounds. Each team forms its own line. A space of about one yard is formed between the lines of players, referred to as the tunnel. The ball is then thrown back into the playing field. The ball must be thrown straight into the middle of the tunnel. Players compete for the ball. A player has a greater likelihood of winning the ball if he is higher in the air than others. Therefore, players jump and/or are lifted up by teammates to be in a favorable position to win possession of the ball.
Other activities such as ice skating and dancing also involve lifts.
Various methods have been employed to accomplish these types of lifts and jumps.
Originally, players jumped unassisted by teammates, but the laws (rules) of Rugby Union have changed to allow teammates to support a player while in the air. At first, lifters would grab the waist of the jumper's cotton Rugby shorts. It is currently illegal to grab on to or bind to the player while the player is on the ground. As time passed, it became common to support a jumping player by grabbing the player by the bottom of the shorts and lifting him/her by the shorts long enough to play the ball. More recently, it has been made legal to grab the jumping player by the thighs above the knee. Many jumping players wrap a combination of materials and tapes around the thigh to offer those lifting a better grip.
The use of such techniques has several disadvantages such as:                Being ineffective, as a good grip is often still difficult to maintain        Being unsafe, as jumping players that are dropped because of poor grip can fall up to 10 feet and land in an awkward position        Damage to or tearing of clothing, especially if the proper shorts are not worn        Extreme discomfort to the jumper, especially in the groin area        Taking time to apply during the critical stages of pre-match preparation        Requiring a large amount of tape, e.g. almost a full roll of athletic tape        Requiring help to apply, as taping one's own leg is often difficult to do satisfactorily        Needing to be taped before every game or practice        
It is also desirable to have a means for lifting that does not cause additional bunching and riding up of the short Rugby shorts and that looks better.
Regulation Rugby shorts are made of thick, non-stretch cotton fabric. The shorts are used to bind onto other players during play such as scrums, rucks, and mauls. The shorts are also used to lift jumpers. The legs of the Rugby short are short and wide allowing the player a large range of leg movement and reducing the surface area that may be used to disadvantageously tackle the wearer. Thus, a primary characteristic of Rugby shorts is that they are non-stretch, short-legged, and loosely fitting.
The laws of World Rugby limit the thickness of player clothing and equipment, in particular no padded equipment may be thicker than 5 millimeters.
For extra support, modesty, and comfort, it is common for Rugby players to also wear skin-tight, longer-legged, compressions shorts made of low denier stretch fabric, known as Spandex or Elastane. These separate and distinct compression shorts are worn under their regulation Rugby shorts.
On Feb. 26, 1999, Halbro Sportswear applied for a UK patent, application GB 2347067A, where strips of non-stick material are sewn into the sides and lower edges of regulation Rugby shorts. These strips of non-stick material allow teammates to more easily grip the Rugby shorts during a Rugby lineout.
Later, elastic neoprene sleeves comprising a non-slip gripping surface have been placed around legs. On Apr. 22, 2003, Mark Giarcheri filed application PCT/GB03/01719 showing a neoprene sleeve comprising a non-slip gripping surface with a ridge at the top. In 2005, KooGa introduced a “Lineout Support” comprising a neoprene sleeve with a non-slip gripping surface.
Elastic sleeves comprising other types of means for gripping have been placed around legs. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/499,023, filed Aug. 3, 2006, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/800,356, filed May 4, 2007, disclose my earlier attempts to solve these problems. While successful in part, those earlier attempts still suffer from various problems.
More recently, the Centurion brand (Primo Play Ltd.) introduced Aerial Supports™ consisting of a heavy neoprene housing a rubber lifting block. Deacon Manu developed Aerial Supports™.
Elastic leg sleeves have several disadvantages such as:                Being constricting during the activity between lifts        Being too elastic and sliding up during lifts        Being hot, causing excessive sweating and odor        Having material break down        Being relatively heavy        Having relative expensive materials        Having materials requiring expensive equipment to manufacture        Being complex, and thus costly to manufacture        Sliding down the leg        
There is a need for a means to improve lifting in all levels of play, as ineffective lifts can be costly, dangerous, and contribute significantly to losing a game.
What is needed is an improved lightweight, low cost, easy to manufacture, quick, simple, easy to use, reusable, Rugby law compliant device that provides an effective means of obtaining a sure grip that offers comfort and safety to the players involved.
Further, what is needed is a device that can be used by new players and youth to safely develop their technique, skill, and timing during practices and prior to game situations that may require conventional lifting aids.